Ni No Kuni: Shadowed Hearts
by Mike AZ 2
Summary: This may contain spoilers from Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch. Over two weeks later after their previous journey, Oliver and friends investigate a mysterious emissary and a previously-unknown third parallel world while dealing with a mysterious, armored warrior with a troubled heart. Could there be more to all this than meets the eye? Rated T for safety.
1. Ordinary Day

Ni No Kuni: Shadowed Hearts

I won't lie, this is my first attempt at a Ni No Kuni story. There will be some OCs involved. Also, there will likely be spoilers, as this takes place after the events of Ni No Kuni: The Wrath of the White Witch. I know that there are already some fics like that including Wherever Girl's fic Mystery of the Drifter, which I was inspired by, but this should be original enough.

That, and a novelization of Ni No Kuni would be redundant, I already have a Final Fantasy IV: The After Years novelization and a Ogre Battle 64 novelization. The story title may be subject to change if necessary, I wasn't quite sure what the name of the story should be. There may be a original third parallel world for the purposes of this fic, but we'll see.

I originally planned to do this after I'd finished a couple of my other stories, but I wasn't entirely sure how to proceed in most of them, major writer's block, but that's what I get for having so many incomplete fics at once. Regardless, after this first initial chapter, I may not update for a while. There's a Final Fantasy X-2 fic I started as well, but both that and this will be more like secondary projects for the time being.

Thoughts are ', " is for when a character speaks aloud, and multiple - can indicate a change in character point-of-view or time skip.

Disclaimer: Ni No Kuni and its characters, locations, etc. were created by Namco Bandai/Level 5

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><p>Prologue: Ordinary Day<p>

It was peace and quiet mostly since Oliver returned to Motorville, ready to move on with his life as he'd promised his dead mother. The young wizard had changed into his Motorville clothing and put his otherworldly wands and outfits away. He even hid the Wizard's Companion back under the fireplace, despite that no one else in Motorville would see it or his wands, locket and alchemy pot as magical elements.

As it turned out, he'd missed out on quite a bit of homework and almost got right to work on it after making a quick sandwich for himself. Summer Vacation was drawing nearer, so the young wizard worked as hard as he could without tiring himself out too much. Myrtle, Phillip and Leila occasionally came to check on him, offering to help a little if he was struggling with a part of his workload.

'Jeepers, that was quite a load' thought Oliver as he'd finally finished his homework, calling his school beforehand to ask for a catch-up period. The teacher was disappointed with Oliver for 'skipping school', but didn't blame the teen, as Oliver still was getting over his mother's death, or so everyone had assumed and didn't think much of Oliver constantly wandering around or his change of attire. Oliver couldn't blame his teacher for her disappointment, everything he'd experienced in the other world is next to impossible to explain, much less prove that those experiences happened.

Around the same time Oliver was finally done with his homework, a man in his late thirties with short silver hair and brown eyes came by to visit the young teen, knocking on the door. Oliver walked over to answer and hesitantly asked"Yes?"

"Oliver, correct? I'd meant to come see you sooner, but you weren't home every time I tried to check on you. I heard from Leila about what happened to Allie, I'm sorry about your mother" he spoke.

"Its okay, what's your name? And how do you know Miss Leila?" asked Oliver.

The man smiled"My name is Davis, I run a small orphanage near Motorville's outskirts. I also work part-time for social services, and I can assure you that I am her brother. Now, I'm afraid I must ask you a personal question, how old are you exactly? I know you're still quite young."

"I'm thirteen, going on fourteen" said Oliver, relaxing at hearing the man's relation to Leila.

Davis nodded and said"We should discuss this at the table, if you're comfortable with that."

"Sure, what is it?" asked Oliver, though he could sort of guess. He was too young to live on his own and pay the bills for his house, so it would be expected that Social Services would send someone over.

As they closed the door and sat down at different seats at the table, Davis addressed the teen again"Now, from what you just said, you're nearly too old for adoption, yet still so young to be living by yourself. Unless someone would like to adopt a teen, which is a rare circumstance, yet not unheard of. I won't take you to my orphanage unless it seems necessary. But there should be quite a few families here in Motorville and its sister city of of Zecksville who'd be willing to help. I'm going to give you some leeway, did your mother know anyone besides Leila?"

Oliver bit his lip as he thought about it. Besides Phillip and Leila, he knew Myrtle and her parents Rusty and Betty. They could take him in, but he really didn't want to impose on them. His thoughts then drifted to the otherworld. His mother was Sage Alicia, so it wouldn't be unreasonable that she would've known Marcassin, Swaine and their parents. And then there was Esther and her father, Rashaad. But his friends from the other world couldn't be seen, nor would they be considered fit to care for Oliver.

After some thought, Oliver said"I think my mother had a few. I have some friends of my own as well." He couldn't explain to the man about the other world, there was in fact no way for the people from the other world to be seen by Motorville's citizens"But who else is there?"

"Well, my wife and I have one child of our own, but I suppose we could take you in if needed. My wife's name is Claire, our daughter is Marisa" said Davis, gently"But to be frank, I'm a bit worried about you living with strangers in a different town, but I won't push you too hard. Oh, and my family's planning on buying this house since it would seem lonely without occupants, so you could just stay with Leila or the Carwrights for the time being, I could get either one arranged for you."

"Huh? Really? I guess I can't really say anything. Could you give me some time? I kinda need to focus on my schoolwork, Summer Vacation is almost here" asked Oliver, politely. Though in truth, he was nervous about living with a family he barely knew, and he didn't want to be a burden for Rusty or Leila.

Davis stood up and walked over to Oliver, handing him a card with his number on it"I would rather you make your decision, soon. But no pressure, call me once you've made up your mind. I'll give you until the day before my family's moving day, which is about three days from now. Just remember to lock your door when you're at home, wouldn't want you to get kidnapped, Leila and Claire would let me have it for being 'irresponsible.'"

"Sure thing" smiled Oliver, saying a polite good-bye to the nice man, pocketing the card. The teen may be a wizard, but people in Motorville aren't able to see magic. He'll just have to make up his mind or go to the otherworld, but he couldn't just disappear forever.

Walking out the door shortly after Davis had left, Oliver headed for the park. Myrtle and Phillip were in the middle of a discussion.

"I don't mean to be a stick-in-the-mud, but shouldn't we concentrate on our report for school, tomorrow?" asked Myrtle.

"Ah, that stuff can be drag, but I guess we shouldn't disappoint Miss Miko, never know what she's thinking" shrugged the other boy.

"Hey, Myrtle. Hi, Philip" Oliver greeted the two.

Myrtle turned to address him"Oh, Oliver. How are you? I haven't seen you all morning."

"I was busy finishing my schoolwork. A guy named Davis visited me about living with another family since I'm now an orphan" said the brunette wizard.

"Davis? I heard of him from Miss Leila, she says he's awfully nice and adores kids. He called her about you a few times, actually. He wondered where you went if not school or anywhere else in Motorville. So, you're ready for the test tomorrow? Our teacher wants us to sing at the assembly after that. We're singing 'Unwritten'" smiled Myrtle.

Oliver nodded"Yep, I bet I can ace that test. What about you, Phillip?"

"I'm not slacking off this time" grinned Phillip.

Oliver hesitated, then said"By the way, Myrtle. Would it be all right if I stayed with you and Mister Rusty? I was told that I could stay with you or Leila for now until I make up my mind. I have to call Davis and let him know, though."

"Oh, right, your mother's gone, isn't she? Well, we could go see my parents right now and ask them" said Myrtle, helpfully.

"See you guys, tomorrow" smiled Phillip.

Myrtle and Oliver headed to the blond's house and entered Rusty's Garage. Myrtle's father had just finished repairing a broken car and had received payment from his client when he saw the two teens"What's up?"

"Rusty, may I stay in your house with you and Myrtle? My mom's dead, and as far as everyone knows, I'm orphaned. Mister Davis said I could stay with you or Miss Leila until they found a permanent home" said Oliver.

"I'll have to expand the house in order to make a room for you, but you could use the spare room for now. Betty will need to know about this before I agree to let you stay, however. If you want, you can join us for dinner, we'll talk, then" replied the older man.

Oliver nodded"Thanks" and went home, calling Davis to let him know what's going on. The teen had no idea that another big adventure was coming, one that would impact all parallel worlds.

* * *

><p>-The Other World-<p>

A certain long, dark-haired Sage was going through some papers as he signed various treaties from Ding Dong Dell and Al Mamoon. It had been two whole weeks since the purification of the people cursed by the White Witch and the defeat of the White Witch and Shadar. Neither one had been fully at fault as explained by his brother and Sage Rashaad's daughter. Sage Khulan and Kublai often stopped by to see him, as did Sage Rashaad and a Diplomat from Ding Dong Dell.

The Pure-Hearted one had returned to his homeworld, and the Sage of Himelin's brother discreetly helped him out here and there with things that required more technology than magic.

"My lord" A guard entered the room"Queen Cassiopea requests an audience."

"I'll be right there" said the Emperor, signing a couple more documents before heading out of his study to the throne room. He smiled warmly as a woman with green hair met him"Good day, Queen Cassiopea. Or, should I call you Pea?"

The (technically) older woman replied"Just Pea's fine, I always liked that name better. I hate to say that this isn't a social call, however. I've had a terrible premonition last night."

"A Premonition? What is it about?" asked the Himelin Sage, concerned.

Pea frowned"I saw a shadowy purple haze in my dream, within, I saw a platinum-clad warrior and a blond with wings... I'm not sure if this is ill news or not, but the dream seemed so real for some reason."

"Hm. Is it worth looking into?" inquired the young emperor.

Pea thought for a moment"I'm not sure I think it wise, but it would seem that the Pure-Hearted One's trials are far from over still, even after what he did for me and when he defeated Shadar."

"Was there anything else? Maybe we can do something" said the dark-haired Sage.

The green-haired former queen hesitated"I don't know enough, but I looked into it using Foresee. I may no longer be divided into the White Witch and the little girl you and Oliver know as Pea, but I could still see what goes on in other worlds."

"_Resign yourselves_" spoke a voice from out of nowhere.

"What?" Pea looked around.

"_The Emissary of Jopheiliem has awakened. The Platinum Sentinel has arisen, All worlds will be purified of all abnormalities, and shall thus be recreated. Life as you know it is over. Resign yourselves._"

"I heard it too, could someone without the Gateway spell have the power to breach the barrier between worlds?" frowned the Sage"Regardless, this sounds too outrageous to be true. However, at the first sign of unusual activity, we will call upon Oliver and alert the rest of Himelin, Ding Dong Dell and Al Mamoon. At the very least, however, Sage Rashaad, Esther and Gascon should know."

"I agree. The Emissary of Jophielium and the Platinum Sentinel sound mysterious, even to me. I have heard of neither" said the green-haired woman"But Shadar and my White Witch form had the power to interfere with the other worlds, so we shouldn't be too surprised."

'First Shadar, then the White Witch, and now this mysterious Emissary. I'd have hoped there would be no more trouble' The Sage of Hemelin thought.

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><p>I couldn't help it, but this may be the only chapter I'll post until I can finish a couple of my other fics. A couple of the events at the beginning were inspired by Wherever Girl's fanfic, Mystery of the Drifter. I hope I didn't make it too obvious who the antagonists are, but I thought that a villain or some kind of anti-hero could spice things up a bit for this story. We'll see what twists I throw in.<p>

I may have made up the part about Leila having a brother, but most if not all characters in Ni No Kuni had much development. And I don't own the song Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield.

Esther and Swaine will have their importance, but I still have to think of a role for them. But Marcassin and Pea will be major characters here. I may introduce the other two new OCs I mentioned next chapter. Hopefully, this introduction is interesting enough to hold you over for a while, I still have other fics to do. If I'm not making much sense, or if some parts are too similar to Mystery of the Drifter, please let me know.

Well, you know the drill. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome, but no unnecessary flames, okay? As for the title of this story, its sort of a reference to the Shadow Hearts series. There may also be references from other games in future chapters. It won't be a Shadow Hearts/Ni No Kuni crossover though, unless you'd like it to be and I can do that. This won't be updated very often at first, at least not as often as my other fics for the time being.


	2. Platinum Storm

The next chapter's ready. I just hope I get all the other characters' personalities right. Oliver seemed easy to keep in character, as he speaks semi-formally for his age. Least that's my impression. Come to think of it, I hope I was being accurate enough with Marcassin and Pea's personalities in the previous chapter.

There's a time-skip at the start of the chapter, and another one shortly after. Esther shows up briefly in this chapter as I had an idea what to do with her. I don't know how I want Swaine to appear in this story.

I know I don't really need to say that, but thoughts are ', " is spoken word, - is change in point of view or time skip. Also, the name of a world or town with - on either side of the word indicates which world the event is happening in, just so it doesn't get too confusing.

Now for the disclaimers: Ni No Kuni and its characters were created by Namco Bandai/Level 5. And again, the song Unwritten was written/sung by Natasha Baddingfield. The song portion is in italics.

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><p>Platinum Storm<p>

The rest of the day went smoothly for Oliver as he called Davis to let him know he's going to stay with the Carwrights. That evening, at dinner, Oliver and the Carwrights were eating some sandwiches and soup for dinner as they had a discussion.

"Basically, Rusty thought about letting me stay here with you guys. But I don't want to impose, what do you think, miss Betty?" Oliver finished explaining a few things to Myrtle's mother.

The older woman thought for a moment and replied around a bite of soup"I hadn't heard of Allie's death, I'm usually too busy to watch the news. That must have been hard on you, Oliver. Didn't Leila offer to take you in?"

"She's been busy with the store, but she does check on me sometimes. As it is, she barely makes enough money for herself, I don't want to add to that" replied Oliver around a bite of his sandwich.

"Minding a store and caring for a child at the same time would be very difficult for her to do, I imagine" said Rusty, thoughtfully.

"Oliver, if you want to stay with us, I don't mind. Its just that Rusty and I are very busy. Do you have your things with you? If a new family is moving into your old house, you'll want to be sure you have everything you need" said Betty.

Oliver shook his head"I left most of my stuff behind, I didn't know if you would let me to stay with you, Myrtle and Mister Rusty or not."

Betty stood"Well, would you like me to go with you to pick them up?"

"Sure" replied Oliver.

"I'd like to come, too" piped Myrtle"I want to see your house for a moment."

"Its getting close to dark, but as long as you kids stay close to Betty, you'll be fine" said Rusty.

Oliver, Myrtle and Betty stood after they were done with their portions, took the dishes to the sink and went back to Oliver's old house. Myrtle addressed Oliver"My parents and I all have jobs, so would you like to maybe come help out at Miss Leila's store?"

"I wouldn't mind. And I think I'd like to practice my cooking skills, I learned how from my mom when I was twelve" said Oliver, thoughtfully.

"You should probably do that with me or Rusty there to supervise you, cooking can be a little dangerous" replied Betty as they walked. Now, Oliver had done dangerous stuff before, but he couldn't say anything about that.

They arrived at Oliver's old house, where the teenage wizard rushed in to grab his Wizard's Companion, going to his old room to put it in his bag. Making sure he had all of his wands and otherworld outfits put into his bag as well, Oliver packed his extra Motorville clothes in a suitcase and headed downstairs. Myrtle and Betty were waiting for him.

"Do you have everything you needed to pack?" Myrtle asked.

"Yes" Oliver nodded.

Betty offered to help Oliver with his luggage"I can carry the suitcase if you'd like."

"Thanks" said the teenage wizard, giving her the suitcase and holding onto his bag.

The three headed back to Myrtle's House, Myrtle chatted with Oliver about what to do once Summer Vacation began.

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><p>-The Other World-<p>

The sunsets of the desert kingdom of Al Mamoon were by no means as harsh as the heat of the scorching sands in the daytime. A blond girl with blue eyes, her hair in a braided ponytail, gazed at the sunset from the entrance to her hometown, reflecting on her previous journeys with a certain wizard and a certain thief-who-turned-out-to-be-Prince Gascon, the older brother of Marcassin.

'Sure is nice and peaceful, a pleasant change from two weeks ago' thought the blond, heading back inside after a few more minutes. The streets were nearly empty as people were headed home, the blond had just enough time to finish some errands she was doing for a man who kept losing his diary and the item shopkeeper.

Receiving some money and a few herbs for completing the errands she accepted from the guild after returning the dairy and delivering some items, the girl headed home. Her father, a dark-haired sage with a brown complexion and white garments, was reading a letter from one of his fellow sages when he looked up"Ah, Esther. Are you finished doing whatever you needed to accomplish, today?"

"Yes, father. What's in that letter?" she asked, seeing the note in Sage Rashaad's hand

"Its difficult to believe, but it seems that Queen Cassiopea heard a voice alluding to an entity known only as the Emissary of Jophielium. What's even more mysterious is this Platinum Sentinel. However, I never saw reason to doubt my fellow sages, we'll just have to take Sage Marcassin's word for it and not warn the Cowliphia about this supposed new threat until further notice" said Rashaad, wisely.

"I understand, father. But what about Swaine and Drippy?" asked Esther"I'm feeling a little worried for Oliver, too."

Rashaad put down the note and went to put a gentle hand on his daughter's shoulder"Whether you should tell your friends or not is up to you. For now, let us have dinner and then retire for the night."

Esther nodded, understandingly. Though she felt a bit queasy about what she just learned. There was no way the letter Marcassin sent them could've been a hoax, and the Al Mamoon sage's daughter had a sinking feeling in her chest for some reason.

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><p>-Motorville-<p>

Oliver slept uneasily that night, despite the relative comfort of the bed the Carwrights let him use, for he began to have a strange dream in which he was surrounded by a purplish void one minute, then he was on some sort of cloudy landscape. A palace of marble green stone and the silhouette of a mysterious man with the same hairstyle as him, only with black hair and green eyes.

The young wizard jolted awake when a bolt of thunder shot from the sky in the dream. Breathing, Oliver regained his composure and checked the clock on his nightstand, it was roughly six in the morning. School started at eight, so Oliver slept a bit longer before waking up an hour later to go downstairs.

Myrtle, Betty and Rusty Carwright arrived in the kitchen at the same time as Oliver. The blond girl spoke"Good morning Oliver, did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, but I had a really bizarre dream last night" shrugged the young wizard. He had returned to the Carwright household with Myrtle and Betty, changed clothes and gone to bed after a quick shower.

"Dreams are often weird because they aren't usually real. Myrtle claimed this morning she saw an odd vision... Something about a platinum-clad warrior" shrugged Betty, getting three bowls and some cereal out.

"I'm pretty sure it was just a dream, too. But then I wonder" Oliver muttered that last part to himself, not wanting to continue the subject.

Myrtle addressed Oliver"But you know, we had strange experiences before"

'True' thought Oliver as the four of them sat at the table to eat a quick breakfast of cereal and fruit. As soon as they were finished, Oliver and Myrtle got their school things ready and headed out. The better part of twenty minutes walking to school was spent making small talk about further plans for Summer Vacation.

Philip and a girl with short red hair, green eyes with a white blouse and skirt awaited them. The school bell was about to ring any minute. Oliver smiled"Hey, Phillip. Who's with you?"

"Oh, she's a new student. That Davis guy dropped her off around the same time I got here" shrugged the older boy.

The girl shyly looked at Oliver and Myrtle"I... I'm Marisa."

"Marisa? That's a cute name. I'm Myrtle" the older girl addressed the red-head.

Marisa nodded"Thanks... Nice to meet you, Myrtle."

The bell rang, prompting the group to join their classmates in the school building at Classroom A. Their teacher, a woman in her late twenties-early thirties, smiled pleasantly as she greeted the class"Good morning, class. Oliver, Phillip, glad you can join us, today on the last day of school before summer vacation. As a couple of you may already know, we have a new student. Marisa, care to tell us a little about yourself?"

Marisa shyly sat at her desk for a moment before standing up"Hello, everyone... I'm Marisa. I'm not particularly confident and not as determined as I'd like to be... But I hope I can get along with everyone."

The teacher smiled and said"Thank you, Marisa. Now, those of you already familiar with multiplication and division will receive your test sheets. Please remember to show me all your calculations."

Oliver went to receive his sheet while turning his homework in. The class lasted for about an hour before the students had all finished. Except for Marisa, who was given addition and subtraction worksheets to work on and study. Oliver and Myrtle received and 'A', each, but Phillip scored a C, having neglected most of his previous homework, much to the teacher's disappointment when he admitted it. However, he was encouraged to try and do better.

As they headed to the auditorium for the assembly, Myrtle asked Phillip"Want me to help you a little, next time?"

"Ah, who cares? Say, Ollie. I've been working on a new car. Want to give it a test run sometime?" said Phillip.

"Maybe we shouldn't try to do it without adult supervision this time" shrugged Oliver, thinking on how he almost drowned and his mother sacrificed herself to save him. Of course, he didn't doubt that Rusty might not approve. After all, driving cars isn't exactly child's play.

At the auditorium, Marisa was invited to sing with Oliver, Myrtle and some of the other kids, but declined at first, feeling too shy. Oliver, Miss Miko and Myrtle were concerned, but it wasn't their business to dwell on it. However, Rusty, Betty, Davis and a woman with magenta hair and green eyes showed up with a few other of the kids' parents who had gotten permission to hear them sing along with the school staff and principal.

Oliver and Phillip were given toy guitars, and Myrtle held a microphone as a couple technicians set up a karaoke machine for the kids to follow the song with while Myrtle had a stand with the lyrics placed in front of her. Music filled the room as Myrtle, Oliver and a couple of the other kids who were doing the singing began:

'_I am Unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined. I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned._

_Staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window, let the sun illuminate the words that you can't find. Reaching for something in the distance, so close you can almost taste it, release your inhibitions. Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in, no one else, no one else, can speak the words on your lips, drench yourself in words unspoken, live your life with arms right open, today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten._

The audience clapped as the song went on for another minute or two. When it was over, the kids took a bow before leaving the stage to greet their parents. Another group of kids were getting ready to do a song when a platinum flash was seen out the window.

"Huh?" Oliver went over to see it. Myrtle and Phillip joined him.

Their teacher went to look out the window, too. Shocked to see what looked like flashes of lightning and platinum rain falling, the weather news didn't say it was going to rain. But never had this type of weird weather occurred before.

"What are we to do?" asked Myrtle.

Before anyone can say anything, Oliver felt a strange tingling sensation in his head. A voice unlike any he'd heard spoke directly into his mind'Resign thyself.'

"What?" Oliver shook his head.

"Are you okay?" asked Phillip, worried.

"Nothing, I'm just a little tired" replied the teen. Still, something was wrong, and the young wizard couldn't put a finger on it.

A crack of thunder shook the school building, shaking the floor. The teachers, staff, students and parents were shocked.

"This isn't logical at all" frowned the woman with magenta hair.

Oliver glanced out the window again to see a strange platinum haze begin to cover the sky. He hadn't seen anything like it, not any that he remember, anyway. Myrtle looked at it as well before turning to Miss Miko"There's only so many different kinds of weather, right?"

"Correct, and this is unlike any I've ever seen. It seems harmless so far, though... Save for the building shaking a bit. We'll just call it a day, but we'll have another assembly sometime in the middle of August. I don't want to think about what will happen, otherwise" said Miss Miko, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Wise decision, there. Kids, I am proud of how well you've done in all your classes so far, cite that two of you were absent for a long period of time and one of you frequently skipped out. Everyone, to your homes" instructed the Principal.

Oliver rushed out first, followed by Myrtle and Phillip. They made it outside when Oliver saw four platinum shades with blades drawn, lurking in the streets. Oliver was puzzled, these were unlike the monsters he'd fought before.

"What are those things?" whimpered Myrtle.

"You can see them?" asked Oliver.

A rain of platinum shards poured from the haze-covered sky, right onto the streets. Oliver was at a loss for a moment, he didn't have Mornstar or Astra on him. Taking a deep breath, the teenage wizard closed his eyes in concentration, summoning his Mite Familiar.

"The source is converging near the park" said a strange voice.

"Huh?" Oliver was puzzled, but managed to have his Mite take out the nearest Platinum Shade.

The source of the voice, an armored figure with platinum body armor, purple cape and a black lining around the armor emerged from the shadows. Oliver, Phillip and Myrtle had immediately moved out of the way for the others to evacuate and stopped when they saw the strange figure.

"I shall take care of these for you, but beware, pure-hearted one, we may not be friends when next we meet" the mystery man spoke, pulling out a dual-bladed weapon.

Oliver hesitantly called back his Mite and went back to the Carwrights' House with Myrtle. Phillip had gone another direction towards his house. Whatever was going on, Oliver knew he'd have to investigate. If his world was in danger, then the other world might be as well.

* * *

><p>Finally got another chapter ready. I just hope I was making enough sense, as I wanted to kind of end this chapter with a bang. As for how the 'minions' of the Emissary of Jophielium could be seen by Myrtle, I'll try to explain that better, later. Also, I didn't want to get the story off at too slow of a start. I'll think about getting a Beta Reader, if I feel I need one.<p>

I saw another fic in another category with the subtitle Shadowed Hearts, so I might need to change the title of this story as soon as I can think of a better one. I hope I didn't bust the guidelines with the song above.

Please feel free to review. I'm open to ideas if there's any you'd like to share, as I'm still trying to flesh out the plot and a few subplots. Constructive criticism and critiques are fine with me, but no unnecessary flames, please.


	3. A Mysterious Gemstone

This next chapter has quite a bit of action, but is mostly talking in some parts.

Disclaimers: Namco Bandai/Level 5 Inc. created Ni No Kuni and its characters, locations, etc.

* * *

><p>A Mysterious Gemstone<p>

Oliver and Myrtle made it back to the Carwrights' house, pausing occasionally for Oliver to take down a Platinum Shade or two that hindered their progress. The brunette wizard addressed her"I'm going to check it out. The guy in the platinum armor said that the source is converging near the park."

"Are you sure?" the blond asked, worriedly.

"Yeah. Everyone else might pass it off as just a regular storm, unless those strange creatures start attacking them... But I know what Miss Miko said. And I'm not going to let anything bad happen" said Oliver.

Myrtle was quiet for a moment"Okay. I'll tell my mom and dad that the school sent everyone back home, early. But what would Davis say if he thought we were bad guardians if he found out we let you go alone? Let me come, okay?"

Oliver gave it some thought, he could protect Myrtle and fight at the same time if he used both his wand and his Familiar, but he then thought to what almost happened to him after he defeated Shadar. If Oliver almost faded from existence due to his former soul link with the Dark Djinn, the same could happen to Esther if Myrtle died. Both Oliver and his mother's links to their soulmates were severed, albeit at different times, so they were special cases.

"Its going to be too dangerous for you. Just tell them I stopped by the park, okay?" requested the teenage wizard. He wasn't good at lying, so it was best to go with a half-truth.

"Okay" replied Myrtle, hesitantly"Just be careful."

Oliver went to the guest bedroom, retrieved Mornstar and headed back out of the room to the front door. A platinum shade waited for Oliver not too far from the house with a sword drawn, but the teen shot it down with Fireball before running in the direction of the park.

Not far from the park, a gray-hooded figure in silver garments stood firm as the teenage wizard approached. The figure spoke"So predictable. Admirable, nevertheless. The pure-hearted one, correct?"

Oliver stopped before the silver-clad man"You know me? Who are you?"

"Who in the other world doesn't? I knew Motorville wouldn't be such an easy target with you, here. I am Sildan, a High Emissary of his Magnificence. You appear to be a simple boy, yet appearances can oft be deceiving."

"Are you the one behind this?" Oliver asked, hand on his wand.

"You are perceptive, young Wizard. And I assure you there is nothing we Emissaries do not know of Motorville and the Land of Kuni. No doubt you heard that the source of this little invasion of mine has gathered here, but let us see how well you fare against that which lies ahead" said Sildan, smiling through his hood as he brandished a staff and disappeared.

Oliver shrugged and walked onward, a large, circular marble structure with a gaping white hole above it stood in the center of the park, guarded by five Platinum Shades. The brunette summoned his Mite and prepared to combat the monsters.

Sensing his presence, two of the Platinum Shades rushed forward and swung their shadowy blades. Oliver dodged while Mitey, his Mite, parried the other. Whipping out Monrstar, Oliver used Fireball to incinerate his opponent, while Mitey stabbed the other shade and swung at the other three monsters. Staggering for a moment, the Platinum Shades barely nicked Mitey while Oliver cast Thunderstorm to destroy the monsters.

Feeling he was running low on magic, Oliver called back Mitey and used a Iced Coffee he had left over from his previous quest to rejuvenate himself a little. The portal shone brightly over the structure to call forth a massive silver phantom clad in robes, its hands appeared to be decayed. Several more Platinum Shades appeared next to it.

"Thunderstorm!" Oliver zapped the monsters again, narrowly dodging as the silvery phantom shot forth a blast of lightning of its own, Oliver retaliated with Fireball, only to receive a blow to his chest with a circular white fireball from the monster. Oliver staggered and fell onto his bottom for a moment.

'Jeepers' Oliver thought, calling forth Mitey to hold intercept the phantom as it attempted to claw at him. The sword-wielding Familiar was getting a bit tired, but had enough energy to last a bit longer before needing to rest. Oliver got back up and readied himself to cast Mornstar. The Platinum Shades were starting to advance on the teenage wizard as he struggled.

"Mornstar!" Oliver zapped the silver phantom, causing it to melt into thin air. Mitey went all out and slashed at all of the Phantom Shades, decimating them. The portal rapidly faded and the marble structure began to crumble and vanish.

'That was too close' Oliver watched as the structure completely vanished to reveal a white, triangular shaped gemstone. Oliver walked forward to inspect it, despite the large bruise on his chest, not to mention his overalls were torn a little. Above him, the sky returned to normal.

"Very impressive, boy" Sildan reappeared in front of Oliver"But history may repeat itself."

Oliver turned from where he picked up the strange gemstone and faced Sildan"I guess you're next."

Sildan shrugged"I'm not interested in facing you, even the Platinum Sentinel with his so-called honor would not want to fight you in your current condition. Easy wins just aren't my style."

"The Platinum Sentinel?" Oliver was puzzled"Who is he?"

"Would you like to know? Alas, he departed after he slew quite a few of the shades trying to lay siege to this town. Just wait until you see the true horror in store for all worlds, that was but a taste of what's coming" taunted Sildan, vanishing once again.

'What's up with that kook?' Oliver thought, pocketing the gemstone and heading back to the Carwrights' house. When he stepped back inside, he met up with Myrtle, who felt a twinge of concern seeing her friend's slightly torn outfit.

"Are you all okay?" the blond asked.

"Yeah, just..." Oliver stopped for a moment, not sure how to explain"Well, there was some kind of odd device that seemed to have made the sky look hazy. That's been taken care of, and I found this" he finished, taking the gemstone out of his pocket.

Myrtle started"Oh! Where did such a pretty stone come from?"

Before Oliver could reply, Betty came from downstairs to join the conversation"You had Myrtle and Rusty worried sick, Oliver. What exactly were you doing at the park? Though I guess the sky just returned to normal, it was a strange sort of weather."

"I kind of doubt you would believe me, but there was this weird guy dressed entirely in grey and white. I guess I kind of got into a fight" said Oliver.

"That explains the tear on your overalls... I can fix it for you, but you'll need to change your shirt" said Betty, thoughtfully.

"Still, the strange purple haze... And its sudden disappearance a short time after you left... It must be magic! I know it sounds strange, but I can't think of anything more that would explain it" said Myrtle, thoughtfully.

Oliver shrugged"If you really want to know, I... I can use magic, and the gemstone I found seemed to be powering up the device that caused the haze."

Myrtle's eyes widened with surprise"You're a magician?"

"A wizard... I can't really show you, because you won't be able to see it. I know I sound crazy just telling you about this" flushed Oliver.

Betty just smiled"I suppose if it was anyone but you, I would've dismissed this as just another little kid telling tales. The day you first came into Myrtle's life, the day you helped my husband, I thought it seemed strange when you asked to borrow a bit of my kindness, as you put it. Rusty and I didn't think much of it, I was just happy to have Rusty back to his old self, and Myrtle able to walk outside, attend school and help out at Leila's shop."

Oliver was taken aback"Uh, thanks for believing me, I guess."

"You're welcome. Whatever you did back then, I can't think of any other explanation. Still, we'd best keep it to ourselves. So what's this about a gemstone?" asked Myrtle's mother.

"I came across it at the park. Its kind of a weird color, could be just a normal diamond, but that makes little sense. Its not something that can just be lying around outdoors, unless someone misplaced it" explained Oliver.

"Sonja might know something, her husband's an archeologist and scientist. I sometimes work with him at his lab, its at the suburbs near the exit of Motorville. Sonja lives in a house near the lab" said Betty.

Oliver nodded"Thanks" and went upstairs. The teenage wizard changed into his blue and white outfit and came back down.

Myrtle addressed the young wizard"May I come, this time? Miss Leila doesn't expect me to come to her shop until tomorrow. She said I could have the rest of the day off after school."

"Sure" replied Oliver.

"I would prefer you two don't go by yourselves, but I have a feeling you'll be fine" smiled Betty"I'll let Rusty know."

"We'll try to be back before the sun goes down" assured Myrtle as she and Oliver headed out.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sildan had returned to an ancient castle which served as headquarters. A couple more High Emissaries met up with them. One of the two figures, a woman, addressed him"That was a big mistake, his Magnificence wasn't too happy."<p>

"I am aware he's found one of the shards of the Plasma Sapphire. But I figure I could use him, the Pure-Hearted One remains blissfully aware of our true plan" said Sildan.

"Oh, ho, how clever of you, Sildan. But good excuse or no, you still placed the device at too open of a spot. His grace said to warn you that if you blunder again, or let another shard fall into the boy's hands, you will be terminated" warned the female high emissary.

"I will bear that in mind" nodded Sildan.

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><p>Okay, I finally got another chapter up. I owe thanks to everyone who's added this fic to their favorite. I just hope I'm making enough sense, I will try to use as much of the canon material from the Ni No Kuni game itself as possible. The gemstone has its importance, but that will be revealed later.<p>

The hooded figures you could say were inspired by Organization XIII from the Kingdom Hearts series. As for Sildan, he's more of a cover-up for the big bad, just thought I'd point it out. I didn't have Oliver meet with the others, because I'm building towards him eventually going back to the other world. I used 'Land of Kuni' as that world's name, just so you know.

Feel free to review, if you'd like. I hope you're enjoying this fic, so far.


	4. The Suburbs of Motorville

Here's the next chapter. I guess I didn't know what I was doing entirely and neglected to explain in the previous chapter how Myrtle figured out Oliver could use magic. Heck, I just thought of a backstory for her mother. Well, it wasn't entirely my idea. Thanks for making your point in your review, Wherever Girl.

I guess I'm not used to doing fics based off an RPG where characters from one world are unable to see characters and magic from another world. I was thinking of Kingdom Hearts, but that's a lame excuse. Well anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: Ni No Kuni was developed by Namco Bandai/Level 5

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><p>The Suburbs of Motorville<p>

Oliver and Myrtle set off in the direction of Motorville's outskirts, pausing to ask directions to Sonja's house on their way. The trek took them an hour, but they eventually came to a side alleyway near the town entrance.

"Whoa... I've never been this far from our neighborhood" said Oliver, glancing around in awe.

"Me neither" Myrtle glanced at a small building to the right. Oliver went to look at the sign near the building, which indicated he was standing at an orphanage. It had to be Davis' workplace.

"We probably aren't too far from the suburbs by now. Mister Davis said his orphanage was at the outskirts" said Oliver, turning back to Myrtle.

Myrtle nodded"Yeah... Honestly, I'm a bit nervous, this place isn't as bustling as our neighborhood in the main district."

Oliver walked back over"I think we'll be fine. The orphanage probably isn't that isolated, there should be some houses down the alleyway. Let's go check it out."

"Okay" Myrtle nodded.

Oliver led the way down the alley, using the notes he took earlier to find the address for Sonja's house. In a corner of the suburbs, a plain-looking house with a pink rooftop came into view.

"This is it... I think" Oliver walked to the front door and knocked.

After a minute, the door opened to reveal their teacher, who had just returned to her house not too long ago. The woman was surprised"Goodness, what are you and Myrtle doing here, Oliver?"

"Miss Miko?" Oliver was a bit surprised"I'm looking for someone named Sonja."

"Sonja? That's my first name. What do you want? I don't believe I ever mentioned my first name in class" asked Sonja, curious.

Oliver and Myrtle were taken aback, they'd never heard their teacher mention her first name. The blond recovered first"We're here to ask you about something. Oliver found a white triangular gemstone shortly after we got home from school."

"Really?" The older woman asked, raising an eyebrow. She wasn't in much of a mood to have people loitering around her house.

Oliver reached for the white gemstone and showed it to her"Do you happen to know about this? I thought it was some kind of diamond, but diamonds don't come this shape. Not entirely, at least."

Sonja took the gemstone and looked at it"Hm. Fascinating, but what's your interest in this thing? You're too young to be studying and learning all the time, but then... Its not something normally studied in elementary-level schools."

"So, you know what it is? I found it at the park. Could've been lost from somewhere else since gems don't usually appear aboveground" asked Oliver, hopefully.

"You found it at the park? Maybe someone dropped it, then... Wait, the top shape of this triangular stone doesn't appear to resemble a diamond. This could be a scientific breakthrough. I'll give it to my husband and have him look at it" said Sonja"Do you need a lift back home? Its incredible you found your way here without getting lost."

"That would be nice" said Oliver, politely"But I'm curious about what the gemstone is."

"I don't know what it is, myself. And why the sudden interest?" the dark-haired woman asked.

Oliver realized he'd just gotten himself into a tough spot, he wasn't a good liar"Well, there was this machine that was causing a purple haze to cover the sky... Its been dealt with, but this came out of the machine."

"You must've let the strange weather go to your or head or something... Though again, it seemed unnatural" mussed Sonja, somewhat skeptic.

"Miss Miko?" Myrtle asked, concerned.

Sonja shook her head to clear her thoughts"Sorry, I'm a bit of a cynic. I find what you say hard to believe. I suppose I could take you with me to the lab to help find out what this gemstone is, if you want. But I'll need to know when Betty expects you back, so that I can drop you two off. And it could be some time before we could identify this gemstone."

"I promised my mom that Oliver and I would try to be back before the sun goes down" replied Myrtle.

Sonja checked her watch"That gives us five hours at best. And if you two still want to come, you will need to follow my instructions."

"We will" nodded Oliver"And we'd still like to go with you."

Sonja headed back in the house to get the car keys and then led the two to her sleek black car. Sonja got into the driver seat while the two teens got into the passenger seats.

"Ready?" Sonja asked as she buckled in.

"Yes" replied Oliver, he and Myrtle put their seat belts on.

Sonja drove her car down the street for a mile, coming to a medium-sized black building with windows. Oliver could only guess that's the lab that Betty mentioned. The three got out and went into a small lobby.

"Sonja? Who are these kids?" The receptionist standing at the desk asked.

"They're some of my students. Is Josh in?" inquired the teacher.

"Professor Alison said something about going to the abandoned mine and took a small team to find rare gems. But they haven't been back for over three hours. Man, I'm starting to think I odd to call the police" shrugged the receptionist.

Oliver's eyes widened and addressed Sonja"Uh, where's the mine?"

"Its an old cave near some ruins not far away from here. And Larry, do you happen to know about this? I know you help sometimes with research" Sonja showed the receptionist the gemstone.

Larry glanced at the stone"Huh. No, I haven't seen anything... Why don't we show that to Professor Alison when he returns?"

Oliver wasted no time and turned to leave the building. If something bad happened, he couldn't just ignore it if there was something he could do.

Sonja abruptly turned to see Oliver as she heard him try to exit"Where you are going? We need to stick together."

Oliver was about to reply when Myrtle piped up"You're going to help Miss Miko's husband, aren't you?"

"Yeah" said Oliver sheepishly. He couldn't deny it.

"What can a kid your age do? Those ruins might be dangerous. You could get hurt" said Sonja, concerned.

Oliver briefly thought about telling Sonja about his magical abilities, but shrugged and said"I'll be fine."

Myrtle walked over to the brunette wizard"I'm coming, too. Okay?"

"Okay" nodded Oliver.

"You two" Sonja sighed and said"I'll come along, the mine is a mile away from here. However, if it starts to get too dangerous, its best to get out of there before something happens. I've been to that mine before, and there have been a few cave-ins. They aren't common, but you never know what can happen in that mine. Josh, myself and our research team have mapped out the place so that we know what to expect."

"Thanks" said Oliver.

They got back to Sonja's car and drove over to a huge stone wall with a tunnel entrance. Oliver got out first"So, that's the mine?"

"It is, now stay close you two" said Sonja, leading the way in.

The cave was slightly dim, but the three could make out a stone ceiling with a yellowish flooring. Myrtle looked around to see several sparkles in the wall"This must be where miners would come dig up their gems."

"Correct, but its been abandoned for some hundred years" said Sonja, leading the way down a few passageways.

A large chamber came into view, which they entered. A bench and a stairwell leading deeper underground could be seen. Oliver glanced around"I thought the Receptionist said that Professor Alison was here. Maybe there's something downstairs..."

Before Myrtle or Sonja could respond, they felt a slight quake hit them. They staggered and regained their balance.

"I was afraid of this. Its not too late to turn around, I don't know exactly how violent the quakes get" said Sonja.

"I think I can handle it" said Oliver, putting a hand on his wand in case he needed to cast Vacate.

"All right, but we'd best leave if the quakes become too much" said Sonja, reluctantly.

The three trekked down the stairs, down another passageway. A young scientist sat on the ground, nursing a badly bruised ankle.

"Clive?" Sonja asked.

"Huh?" The man turned to them"Oh, Sonja. Who are these two?"

"There's no time, is Josh okay?" asked the brunette woman.

The man shrugged"Yeah, but a quake and rockslide caught me off guard. I'll be getting out of here, shortly. I'm afraid that Professor Alison may have gotten hit by one of those rockslides. We've been trying to get our bearings, and a couple passageways have been blocked."

"Oh no" Myrtle gasped.

Sonja paled and ran ahead. Oliver and Myrtle followed. The next large chamber consisted of a passage that led further ahead, with two blocked areas on the left and right sides.

"The two side passages are blocked" mussed Sonja, glancing around.

Oliver walked ahead down the unblocked passage. It led to a large chamber, which was a dead end. A voice called out"Who's there?"

Oliver looked for the source of the voice until he came upon a man with blond hair, blue eyes, sweatshirt and pants. A medium-sized rock was on his leg, pinning him. The boy addressed him"Are you Professor Alison?"

"Yep. Name's Josh. Actually, its Josh Miko, Alison's my middle name. I came here to find rare gems to study, when a blasted rockslide trapped me like this" sighed the man"But how do you know me?"

"Someone at your workplace told me and Sonja what happened to you" replied Oliver

"I've been trying to move this darn rock from my leg for hours, but it just hurts worse" sighed Josh"Do me a favor and call the ambulance, kid."

"Oliver!" Myrtle and Sonja caught up.

"Sonja? Sorry you have to see me like this" Josh flushed, seeing his wife.

Sonja looked at the rock and addressed her husband"Never mind that, I'll help budge the rock off and get you to the doctor. That rockslide must have been very painful."

Oliver pulled his wand out"I think I can break the rock and heal you. Just... Try not to freak, okay?"

"Are you sure you don't mind using your magic for this?" Myrtle asked the brunette wizard.

Oliver nodded"Yes. I know this can be done without magic, but we'd need to call for help to do that. Arrow of Light should be enough to free Professor Josh."

"Myrtle, Oliver, do you two know what you're saying?" asked a skeptic Sonja.

"Yeah. I Betty said not to let anyone else know, but this is kind of an emergency" Oliver powered his magic and cast Arrow of Light at the rock pinning Josh's leg. The spell shattered the rock, pebbles scattering harmlessly to the side.

Josh and Sonja were in surprised shock for a moment. Oliver walked over to the injured blond and cast Healing Hand on his leg.

Myrtle glanced nervously at the two adults, unsure how they will take this.

Josh felt his leg and stood up"Thanks a bunch, but what did you just do...? That rock seemed to have smashed itself, and then my leg healed a split moment later."

"It was magic. You wouldn't be able to see it, I was told that ordinary people can't see magic, but they can still feel its effects if the spell is directly cast on them. My mother, Allie, was a Great Sage" replied Oliver.

"Hm. Well, hey, its no skin off my bones. You got me out of jam, after all" shrugged Josh"Looked more like some sort of telekinesis to me, though."

"I must admit, it would take something unusual to convince me. Otherwise, I would've simply said there's no such thing as magic. Oliver, thank you, but how exactly did you...?" Sonja trailed off, still in shock.

Oliver put away his wand"I can't really explain it. But my mother and I... We were different from everyone else in Motorville. We just kept it a secret. Or at least my mom did, I didn't know magic existed at the time before she died."

"I'm still having a hard time believing it, but it would be unfair of me to treat you any different. You're is still a person, yet I feel the need to lay off the Harry Potter books. I read those a lot during my spare time" sighed Sonja.

"We'll just forget the ordeal. And what of the rest of my team?" asked Josh.

"I'm afraid only one of them escaped the rockslides" said Sonja, regretfully"We saw no one else."

Josh picked up a book he had nearby"Well, I'd best go back to the lab."

"Before that, I want you to take a look at this" said Sonja, taking out the gemstone"Oliver said he found it, but we don't know what it is."

Josh looked at the gemstone"Hm. Well, this is a bit on the unusual side. Looks sort of like a diamond, but it really isn't."

"Can you identify it?" asked Oliver.

The older man shrugged"Could be a fragment of some larger gemstone. I'd be happy to hold on to it and see what I can make of the gem. Might take a while, though."

"Oliver, can your magic take us to other places?" Myrtle asked the brunette wizard"We probably should get home, soon before my father starts to worry."

"You're right" Oliver took out his wand again and cast Vacate. The whole group found themselves at the entrance.

Sonja shook her head as she put the gemstone into her pocket again"I really need to get a bit more sleep. I'm having a difficult time wrapping my head around this."

Josh shrugged"Same here, but all's well that ends well. Hope to hear from you, boy."

"Okay" said Oliver.

As the group got into the car to drive to the Carwrights, Oliver addressed the dark-haired teacher"Uh, what is Harry Potter?"

"Its a book about a fictional young wizard with dark hair and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. There are seven of those and its a good series, though I wouldn't recommend books five, six and seven until you're older, the series gets progressively darker" replied Sonja.

"I'll see about renting or buying them one of these days" said Oliver, thoughtfully.

Sonja drove toward Myrtle's house, the blond giving her directions on how to get there. They had not known they were headed for trouble.

One of the silver-clad figures stood near the park, watching the vehicle pass with a sinister smirk as fiery magic seeped into his hand'I don't care what Sildan and Vera say, I am taking the plasma sapphire shard and destroying the Pure-Hearted One myself!'

* * *

><p>Pardon the cliffhanger, had to throw in a bit of suspense to make up for the lack of action. And let's just say that intervention from the other world will come next chapter, can't say more than that for spoiler reasons.<p>

I can only hope I was being realistic enough with other people besides Myrtle finding out that Oliver has magic abilities. Honestly though, I wasn't sure what direction the story should take. And regarding the HP reference, Harry Potter was written by J.K Rowling. Also thinking about getting a Beta Reader after this, as I doubt I'm making much sense.

Please feel free to review. Though I might have to redo parts of this chapter. Oh, and Fun fact about Josh and Sonja: They're main characters for a Kamen Rider fic I'm thinking about posting, though they'll have minor roles in this story. They're also OCs that I used in a RP forum I participated in.


	5. Return to Kuni

Another chapter raring to go. This one may have a bit more action, but still mostly talking. Sorry if this deviates from the canon material, don't remember if Pea and Myrtle interacted in the game.

Disclaimer: Ni No Kuni was created and copyrighted by Level 5/Namco Bandai.

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><p>The Return to Kuni<p>

Oliver, Myrtle and Sonja were almost back in the main district of Motorville when they felt the car suddenly shake violently. Oliver and Myrtle jerked a little in their seats, but still had their belts on.

Sonja frowned as the car seemed to stop on its own"Huh? That's strange... I didn't see anything in the rear-view mirror or the front."

Oliver took off his seatbelt and got out with Myrtle to investigate around the same time Sonja got out of the driver's seat. A man with orange hair, silver robes and brownish eyes stood in front of them with a smug look.

"Who are you?" Oliver asked.

The man smirked"Fenrir Pyron is the name. Say, you wouldn't mind handing over the shard would you?"

Sonja was puzzled"Huh?"

Myrtle glanced at the man"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't tell me you don't know" scoffed Pyron"You were already becoming a thorn in my boss's plans."

"Why do you need the jewel that I found and gave to Sonja?" Oliver asked.

"So naïve, and to think THIS is the savior of Kuni" sneered Pyron, again as he prepared another wave of magic"Prepare to burn!"

Sonja shrunk back towards her car, trying to make sense of what she just heard, but she hit an illogical wall, thinking this strange man was insane and thought it best not to say anything.

"Myrtle, you and Sonja... err, I mean Miss Miko can see him?" Oliver said, curious.

"Yes. I've never seen him in town before though, and I most certainly can't see magic." said Sonja.

"Allow me to shed a little light on the subject" Pyron interrupted"Both worlds are missing certain Soul Mates of the corresponding people they are supposed to resemble. Why else would Sage Alicia have had been able to be seen by the denizens of this world? Her soul connection was severed."

Oliver tightened his grip on his wand"Who is your boss?"

"Details, who needs 'em?" shrugged Pyron, summoning a blazing barrier around the area, even forcing Sonja and Myrtle backwards and imprisoning them within smaller barriers.

Oliver retaliated with Thunderstorm, narrowly dodging a fireball. The teen summoned Mitey to distract the fiery High Emissary and barely managed to withstand a fiery serpent tongue. Oliver healed himself and cast Frostbite.

Pyron staggered, but summoned several Platinum Shades to surround Myrtle and Sonja"So? Ready to hand it over?"

"I really don't know what's going on" said Oliver, honestly.

"Again, details. You seriously don't even know about the Plasma Sapphire?" sneered Pyron.

Just then, a thunderstorm spell erupted and blasted the Shades. Before Oliver's eyes, a gateway opened, two familiar people stepped out: A young man with dark hair and a young woman with green.

"Queen Cassiopea? Impossible" gasped Pyron as he saw the green-haired woman.

"I suppose I'm not the only one from the distant past" said Cassiopea, glancing at the arrogant orange-headed man.

Marcassin cast Thunderstorm to break the barriers imprisoning Myrtle and Sonja before turning his attention to Pyron"Let me guess, you're with the Emissary of Jophielium I heard about, recently?"

Pyron smirked"Oh, ho, now I get to crush the Pure-Hearted One and one of the remaining Sages. Yeah, I'm with Lord Jophielium's ilk, so what?" He threw a burst of fiery magic at both Pea and Marcassin, only for it to be doused by another Thunderstorm spell.

"Mornstar!" Oliver took the chance to blast Pyron in the chest. The orange-haired High Emissary groaned and teleported away"Don't think this ends here."

Oliver put his wand away before addressing Cassiopeia and Marcassin"Thanks for the help."

"You are welcome" said Marcassin.

Myrtle faintly heard Marcassin, but glanced over at the green-haired woman and was really surprised"Pea? Is that you?"

"Yes, its only been a couple weeks" replied Pea"I'm pleasantly surprised you can recognize me in my adult body."

"But how...?" Myrtle was surprised.

"Its a long story" piped Oliver.

Sonja blinked confused"Can I get an explanation?"

Pea turned her attention to the brunette"It would take too long to explain, but let me just say I am here to help you, Myrtle and Oliver."

"I see. Well, I appreciate it, whatever it is" said Sonja, who was in no mood to ask anymore questions.

Marcassin had almost opened his mouth to introduce himself to Sonja, but kept silent, as he remembered that the people of Oliver's world aren't able to see him, it was the same for Esther and Swaine. Instead, he thought it best to let Pea do the talking for now.

"Why was that guy after the gemstone that Oliver found?" asked Myrtle.

"I have an idea, but for now, we best get off the streets" said Pea.

Oliver nodded"Okay, I was just on my way back to Myrtle's place. I was staying there until I get a permanent home with another family, since I'm orphaned. Can we talk after I get back to the Carwrights' house?"

"We'll wait for you outside" said Marcassin.

Oliver went with Myrtle and Sonja the rest of the way back to the Carwrights. But just short of the driveway, Sonja's car short-circuited.

"What happened?" wondered Myrtle, concerned.

"Hm. Whatever damage done to my car seems to be worse than I thought. I'll ask Josh to pick me up and see about getting it fixed, tomorrow. Oliver, I don't know what's going on, but I hope things work out for the best" said Sonja.

Oliver and Myrtle said good-bye before heading inside the house, It was getting close to sunset. Betty was ironing some clothes when she saw the two kids come in"How did it go?"

"We gave the strange gemstone to Miss Miko and her husband. They haven't seen anything like it either, but are going to study it" said Myrtle"Can I help get supper ready?"

"Certainly" nodded Betty.

Oliver addressed Betty"I'm going to be outside for a bit longer."

"Okay, just don't go too far" replied the older woman.

Oliver headed outside to see Marcassin and Pea waiting, the two had carefully made their way over to the Carwrights' house. Oliver addressed them"So, how are things in your world?"

"The creatures you fought are supposedly the servants of Jophielium, I received a terrible vision the other day. Strange monsters started appearing earlier this afternoon, but they haven't been too much trouble so far. As for who Jophielium is exactly, I do not know" explained the green-haired woman.

"But how come that guy and those odd monsters could be seen by Myrtle and Miss Miko?" said the brunette wizard, curiously.

Marcassin shrugged"Maybe its because they aren't from this world, or ours. Either that, or the creatures simply have no Soul Mates. Typically, the Familiars and people from our world are invisible to the eyes of people in this one, as I understand it. Pea told me that she had been scrying Motorville since this morning, keeping an eye on events that have occurred so far."

"But if they're not from either world... Where would they have come from?" said Oliver, confused.

"We don't know, but there are some old books in Hamelin we've yet to look into. That suggests that your world and mine aren't the only ones in existence, but its very hard to believe. We thought you might like to help in this investigation, as it concerns all known worlds" replied the Himelin Sage.

"I'm all for it, though I'd have to start tomorrow. Myrtle, Rusty and Betty will probably worry, since I'm staying with them" said Oliver.

"That's fine, we'll wait for you at Porcine Palace whenever you're ready" said Marcassin, gently"And in case you're wondering how Pea and I got here, we used the Gateway Spell. I've been working on my magic since its safe to do so with Shadar gone."

"Neato! Well, I'll see you tomorrow" said Oliver before going back inside the house. Pea and Marcassin returned to Himelin.

As Oliver headed back in, he had a feeling he might need an excuse. Shrugging it off for now, he headed to the Guest Room to do some reading while waiting for supper.

* * *

><p>Sildan was in what appeared to be a large marble-stone chamber with green lines, addressing a mysterious figure situated on the throne"Pyron is getting too overzealous, and there's no telling what Vera's thinking."<p>

"Ah, but you are hardly one to talk, my friend. I will personally monitor Pyron, just carry on with getting the remaining devices ready" instructed the figure.

Sildan nodded"As you wish."

* * *

><p>The next morning found Oliver writing a note to Myrtle and her parents before going downstairs to join them for breakfast, making sure to put the note in his pocket. Myrtle was in thought about yesterday's events, but tried to shrug it off and concentrate on eating her cereal.<p>

"Something wrong?" Rusty was concerned about his daughter.

"Just had... Something on my mind" said Myrtle.

Oliver sat next to her in a vacant chair"Its about what happened yesterday, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Honestly, I'm a bit worried, stranger things are happening these days" sighed the blond.

Oliver had gotten a bowl of cereal ready for himself as he talked"I'm thinking about helping you, Rusty and Leia, sometime. But I have other things on my mind, too."

Betty cast a curious glance at the two, but focused on her portion. When they were done with breakfast and cleaning up, Rusty had gone to his garage in preparation for work.

While Betty was washing the dishes and getting ready to go to work, Oliver took out the note he had in his pocket and placed it on the table before going up to his room to pack Mornstar, Astra and his Wizard's Companion. Taking a deep breath, the wizard used Gateway to travel to the other world, hopefully the note would assure Myrtle and Betty he'll be fine.

The familiar greenery of the Rolling Stone Hills came into view as Oliver warped into the world of Kuni. Taking a moment to look at the scenery, Oliver cast Travel to transport himself to Himelin.

'Sure hasn't changed much' thought Oliver as he entered the city and walked in the direction of the palace. Everyone in the city appeared to be going about their lives, some even gossiping about 'strange occurrences' that had occurred yesterday.

A Himelin Soldier guarded the entrance to the palace and greeted the young wizard"Good day, Emperor Marcassin said you'd be coming."

"Thanks" said Oliver politely, heading into the palace. It had been a good couple weeks since the young wizard previously visited, but he still could somewhat remember where the throne room was located.

Marcassin, Pea, and a familiar-looking man with dark hair in a reddish jacket, orange t-shirt and pants stood waiting. A pistol and a sword hung from the man's belt. Marcassin acknowledged the teenage wizard"I'm glad you can join us."

"It sure is nice to visit you, again" said Oliver with a smile, then noticed the man next to Marcassin"Swaine?"

"Heh, so now you recognize me. Can't blame you, though" said Swaine smugly"I cleaned up, and ended up helping to run the country. Its not like I changed species."

"Its good to see you again, Swaine" said Oliver, politely.

Marcassin addressed Oliver"I do apologize that it isn't a social call, but The creatures I mentioned have been seen popping up in Hamelin, Ding Dong Dell and Al Mamoon. The soldiers from each nation have barely proved a match, but I believe you, Gascon, Esther and I can succeed where the soldiers cannot. Regardless, we still need to look into the old books I mentioned."

"Oh, yeah, the forgotten archive, nifty. I'm not too peachy keen on going there, but if its our only clue" shrugged Swaine.

"Its no problem. So where is this archive?" said Oliver, politely.

"Its in a sealed chamber inside this palace. I'm going to go with you and Gascon, as I'm curious as to what's down there, myself" answered Marcassin.

"I'm coming, too" said Pea.

Marcassin walked over to Oliver"I'll show you the way, we'll just need to be careful. I have no idea what sort of state the archives are in."

The four headed down a few corridors towards a dusty old passageway, Oliver addressed Marcassin and Swaine"So how were things going in Hamelin?"

"Up to now, it was really pleasant. Recently, I've been attempting to formally establish ties with Al Mamoon and Ding Dong Dell. I had finally finished repealing and revising all of the harsh rules and regulations I had made in my broken-hearted state. Actually, most of that was done before the Manna Incident, the last few rules were pretty minor and easy to fix" replied Marcassin.

"I've been keeping on the narrow, mostly. Its not all bad, mind. Much as I missed traveling" grunted the Ex-Thief.

"I've been busy myself" said Oliver, deciding not to mention that he was orphaned, though Pea and Marcassin could probably tell.

They came to a door with what appeared to be a normal lock. Marcassin took out his wand and cast Spring Lock to open it"Okay, we'll need to watch ourselves."

The group went down into a dusty old library, Marcassin addressed Oliver and Pea as he walked"There were actually two archives, this one contains forbidden and ancient secrets. Never thought I'd come here, though."

"Cool" remarked Oliver.

As they went further into the archives, they ran into the platinum-armored man Oliver had run into during Sildan's initial attack on Motorville. He appeared to be looking into the books.

"Hey, how did you get in?" demanded Swaine, seeing him.

The platinum-armored man turned to face them"You would do well not to assume that you and the Pure-Hearted One are the only ones who can transport themselves between worlds, much less wield magic. I do not even need to reveal my name."

Oliver glanced at him"Are you the Platinum Sentinel?"

"... You are perceptive. Sildan must have told you of me... But that weasel isn't to be trusted, anyway" nodded the armored man.

"Sildan?" said Marcassin, curiously.

"Sildan was the name of a proud Mage Knight from my old kingdom" supplied Pea"But what does he have to do with this? Is it even the same person?"

The Platinum Sentinel grunted"I wouldn't even know. Now, as you are here, am I to presume that you, too, seek the book regarding the Legend of Releriath?"

Oliver was puzzled"Releriath? What's that?"

"Well, we would like to know more about what we're dealing with, Sentinel" said Marcassin"But as you have intruded this archive without permission, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I was told that only those with permission from the royal family of Hamelin may visit this archive."

The Platinum Sentinel brandished his dual blades"Even if you find what you are looking for, I do not believe you can defeat Jophielium's Emissaries, much less the leader himself. This world is doomed."

"We won't let it fall" growled Swaine, drawing his pistol.

"Humph. Releriath is a whole other world, separate from Kuni and Earth" grunted the Sentinel.

"Well, where are you from?" said Oliver, curious.

The Sentinel assumed a battle stance"I am not at liberty to tell you my past, nor could I expect you to understand. You would never understand... my pain... Urgh!"

"Huh?" Oliver was puzzled.

The Sentinel had writhed for a second before composing himself"Ah, pardon me. I tend to ramble too much. Pure-Hearted One, the time we must clash is neigh. If you are ready for it."

Oliver summoned Mitey while Swaine summoned Gunther. Marcassin readied himself"Do you not think you may be outnumbered? I know not the extent of the power you wield, so I don't claim to know for sure, myself."

"Ah, true, numbers do not always dictate the outcome" said the Sentinel"Now, enough talk." He summoned a darker variant of a Mite and sent it at Oliver before darting at Swaine's Gunther. Marcassin attacked with Thunderstorm, followed by a Fireball from Oliver.

The Sentinel staggered back, then darted behind them to let loose a horizontal swing, only for Swaine's Gunther to knock him back. Oliver turned and hit their enemy with a Fireball, only to be countered by a vertical swing and a thrust. Oliver healed his injuries, while Mitey joined Gunther in tackling the Sentinel. Swaine shot at the Sentinel, who countered with a silvery fireball.

"Ha!" Swaine had landed a cheap shot with his pistol, only for the Sentinel to flinch before countering with a kick before swinging horizontally at Gunther and Mitey. Meanwhile, Oliver had managed to blow the dark version of the Mite away with Mornstar.

"Our Familiars are taking a beating, we'd best recall them" grumbled Swaine, dismissing Gunther.

Oliver dismissed Mitey and blasted the Sentinel with a Mornstar Spell. The Sentinel staggered back"Impressive, but I do not admit defeat, here. Perhaps we shall once again cross paths." He turned and fled the Archive.

"Get back here!" Swaine tried to chase the Sentinel, only to be blasted back by another silver fireball.

"He is a worthy opponent, yet I don't sense quite as much malice from him on the level that Shadar and the White Witch had" frowned Marcassin.

Pea, meanwhile, had been looking at the books until she found an old blue-covered book"Oliver, Marcassin, I found something."

Oliver, who healed Swaine before pocketing his wand, went over to look"Whoa, that's a cool-looking book."

"Sire!" A guard rushed in"Is everything okay? I heard a ruckus."

Marcassin addressed the guard"Just a Vagrant with no business, here, Roderick. Everything's okay, but we'll have to double security. Keep the other soldiers at the ready."

"Understood" replied Roderick, leaving the room. Oliver had the feeling that Marcassin just didn't want to risk alarming the whole palace and kept quiet.

The group headed to a small table to sit and look at the book. Marcassin studied the cover"Hm. This Releriath place sounds mysterious enough, whether it truly exists or not."

"That guy could just as easily have had a screw loose" muttered Swaine.

"Or maybe... Huh, he said he had some kind of pain..." said Oliver.

Marcassin raised an eyebrow"Are you saying that he's one of..."

"He might be broken-hearted, but we don't know for sure" said Pea, thoughtfully.

"He didn't seem the type to be lacking love, kindness, restraint or whatnot" said Swaine"But I suppose its still likely."

"The Heart has many emotions, some deeper than others" mussed Marcassin.

Pea opened the book"Hm. Its written in an ancient manuscript, but its readable enough. This book... Ah! It speaks of a parallel world, or rather, the Legend of Releriath and Azure Quay."

"Azure Quay?" Oliver asked, he had never heard of such a thing, neither had the others.

Marcassin and Swaine looked just as dumbfounded, but didn't say anything.

Pea read on silently"Supposedly, its some realm that no one here has been to. But what would this book be doing here, then? I wonder..."

They sat silently for a moment longer, taking in this strange information. Pea looked back at the table of contents in the book and said"It does mention something about Jophielium... Let's take this back to the throne room and look into it. We should also get Esther, Sage Khulan and Sage Rashaad. They'll need to know."

Oliver stood up first"I could go let them know if you want."

"Thank you" nodded Marcassin.

* * *

><p>Finally, well, this wraps up the current chapter. Hope it turned out okay, especially the cliffhanger. Couldn't help but give Swaine a slightly different outfit from his game self, by the way. Hope none of the canon characters were OOC. I couldn't help but introduce a bit of the Sentinel's fighting style, though. If I hadn't done a good enough job explaining things, please let me know and I'll try to fix it.<p>

Oliver: The author would like to apologize for the delay. Hopefully, the next one will be up, sooner.

Sonja: Reviews are appreciated as always, so please feel free.

Marcassin: Please keep it at constructive criticism though.


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